Intended as a performance-oriented on/off road machine (rumor had it the "C" stood for "Competition," though Harley never said one way or the other), it differed from its milder XLH sibling by sporting magneto ignition, high-mounted exhaust pipe, "peanut" fuel tank, "bobbed" rear fender, and semi-knobby tires.

Tank badges were also different, being of a design shared by some of Harley's contemporary racing bikes. The XLCH also debuted the "eyebrow" headlight cover that remains a Sportster trademark to this day.

By contrast, the touring-oriented XLH looked (and was) heavier, with fuller fenders, large headlight nacelle, larger fuel and oil tanks, and low exhaust. Harley-Davidson maintained these two Sportster models through the 1960s, during which time they proved very successful, both on the racetrack and in the showroom.

To learn more about Harley-Davidson and other classic motorcycles, see:

The 1984 Harley-Davidson FXRT built upon the success of the FXR. A stiffer frame with Sportster-style forks handled better than any previous Big Twin and rubber engine mounts and a five-speed made for a smoother ride. Read about the Harley FXRT.

The 2002 Harley-Davidson XL-1200C Sportster has not changed much since its 1996 debut. Custom versions of the Sportster arrived as a way of adding big-Harley styling like two-tone paint to the middleweight line. Learn about the XL-1200c Sportster.